Sex Offenders

Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton is shaving some time off his upcoming trade trip to Mexico to be at a court conference on the state’s sex offender confinement program. Dayton’s office said Thursday he would be at the Aug. 10 conference on possible changes to the civil commitment program that a federal judge ruled unconstitutional.

A federal judge has denied an attempt by the state to get a quick appeal of his ruling that Minnesota’s program for civilly committed sex offenders is unconstitutional. U.S. District Judge Donovan Frank ruled Wednesday that court rules don’t allow for an appeal at this stage of the case.

Minnesota’s sex offender treatment program is getting sharp scrutiny after a federal judge ruled it unconstitutional. It turns out that Minnesota locks up more dangerous sex offenders than almost anywhere else.

A federal judge ruled Wednesday that Minnesota’s sex offender treatment program is unconstitutional, saying it violates the “fundamental rights” of more than 700 people locked up indefinitely after completing their prison sentences.

For more than two decades, Minnesota’s most dangerous sex offenders have been locked up a second time after serving prison sentences. They’ve been committed to indefinite detention in treatment programs after parole.

The Minnesota Supreme Court has ruled in favor of a convicted St. Paul sex offender who argued that a jury, and not a judge, must decide his risk-level status. The decision could affect the statuses of several Level-III sex offenders in the state.

For more than two decades, Minnesota’s most dangerous sex offenders have been locked up a second time after serving prison sentences. They’ve been committed to indefinite detention in treatment programs.

Now, more than 700 sex offenders are suing the state saying that’s unconstitutional.

So we wondered: How do our neighboring states handle sex offenders? Do they get out? And what happens when they do?

A federal judge has rejected a motion to strike testimony from four court-appointed experts who’ve said at least some of the more than 700 people civilly committed to the Minnesota Sex Offender Program should be released.

Minnesota’s civil commitment program for sex offenders has been under fire for years by people who say it’s unconstitutional because it amounts to a life sentence. A federal judge has pressured state lawmakers to change the program to address concerns, but they have not.

Minnesota lawmakers who have long put off large-scale changes to the state’s treatment program for sex offenders are under even more pressure to act this session, as a federal judge could soon rule on whether the program is constitutional.

Experts reviewing Minnesota’s civil commitment program for sex offenders are recommending that staff begin creating plans to discharge clients when they are first admitted to the program, and that residents be periodically evaluated to ensure they meet criteria for confinement. The recommendations are among dozens issued Tuesday by experts who have spent months evaluating residents, treatment standards and polices at the Minnesota Sex Offender Program.

Earlier this month authorities launched a new campaign to try and find out what happened to Jacob Wetterling. Wetterling was abducted while riding bikes with his brother and friend 25 years ago Wednesday. And while his disappearance remains a mystery, his case has led to changes that now help other missing children.

A former county attorney from northern Minnesota has been sentenced for criminal sexual conduct. Former Cook County Attorney Tim Scannell will serve 30 days in jail and will have 10 years of probation. He is also required to register as a sex offender for 10 years.

A Feb. 9 trial date has been set for a constitutional challenge to Minnesota’s sex offenders treatment program. U.S. District Judge Donovan Frank set the date Thursday during a hearing in St. Paul on the case.

Four experts appointed to evaluate a Minnesota program that confines some sex offenders to high-security facilities even after they have served prison sentences said they need more time to complete their work.

A case about the constitutionality of the Minnesota’s sex offender treatment program is heading to federal court. Attorney Dan Gustafson is representing 24-year-old Eric Terhaar. Both Terhaar and 48-year-old Rhonda Bailey are both trying to get released from the program.

Experts appointed to evaluate the Minnesota Sex Offender Program testified Monday that they found several people similar to a man whom that they say should be immediately freed without restrictions — and they plan to issue findings on those people by the end of the summer.

A leading Republican candidate for governor is calling for an investigation into how important documents were destroyed in the case of a high-profile sex offender. Thomas Duvall, 58, has a history of violent sexual crimes dating back to the 1970s.